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2. Chronological gap of twelve hundred years According to Jaina faith, Pārsvanāth lived for a hundred years and his death occurred 250 years before Mahāvira's. The parents of Mahāvīra were the followers of the religion propagated by Pārsva. He was born in Vārāṇsī as the son of king Aśvasena of Ikśvāku dynasty, He is acknowledged as a great man, the ideal for the people, the enlightened one, the omniscient one, the religion-incarnate and the victor (uttarādhyayana 23.1).
Many references to the pupils of Pārsvanātha are found in ancient Jaina scriptures. A reference to discussion between Mahāvīra and Gāngeya, a follower of Pārsvanāth occurs in Vyākhyā Prajñpti 9.32. There is another reference to Pārsvā's Pupil Pedhalputta who after listening to the sermons of Indraphūti adopted Mahavira's five-point message. The discussion between pārsva's follower Kesīkumara and Māhāvīra's gañadhara Indrabhūti in Uttarādhyayana is significant. Another discussion between the pupil of Pārsvanātha, named Kalasavesiyaputta and one of Mahāvīra is also corroborated by the Bhagvatī Sutra and the theme was the penance of adopting five precepts instead of four (1.76).
The Pärs va-Tradition was popular among the masses. The founder of the Baudha religion, Gautam Buddha had also been under its influence. The fourfold religion emanating from Pārsvanāth does not confirm that in his precepts he gave no room for celibacy. Moreover, the principle of celibacy is implied automatically in nonpossession.
Out of the sixteen royal dynasties existing then in India two, i.e. Kasi and Pañchāla, which were highly influential, had matrimonial relations with the dynasties of the leaders of Jaina religion. Pārsvanāth was himself a member of the royal family of Käsi. He was son-in-law of the king of Pañchāla.
However, it will be illogical to declare that the followers of Pārsvanātha were spread throughout the sub-continent but from the evidence of Sutrakritanga and other Jaina scriptures, they lived in the catchment area of Magada during the time of Mahāvīra and there is a chronological gap between Pārsvanātha and Mahāvira. Historically there is no patriarch or successor known to us, before and after Pārs' vanātha.
Similarly there are gaps in chronology of the successors to Mahāvīra and offshoots to his precepts of the religion. During the time-leg of 250 years between Pārs'ya and Mahāvīra, numerous sects and schisms arose. Sutrakritānga (V.119) mentions as many as 363
